Look, I admit, I don't know much about bomb-making. And I don't know much about how factories label bombs. But I do know that in Iran virtually all numbers were in the Farsi-Arabic script. They were not and do not resemble our numbers. Now, I may be wrong, but I have a feeling that the implication that this round captured in the photo is bogus. [1] Color me very skeptical. Any thoughts? Anyone want to google this and other aspects of the story? Steve [2] has the same idea. Couple questions spring to mind first: is this pattern of numbers to be found on other similar weapons, made by other countries? This Russian 82mm [3] has the markings etched in Russian. Are we sure that the Iranians use the 81mm round? Just in case I really embarrass myself by asking a tremendously stupid question, let me just add this (consider it troll repellent): there are no stupid questions. The only stupid questions are those not asked. Otherwise how are we supposed to learn.

Markings on the Zelzal 2 rocket [4] are in Farsi. On a similar note, Juan Cole crunches some numbers. [5] Result: implausible. Looks like the Zelzal 3 has markings in Farsi too. [6] Here's an anti-ship missile with Farsi on it. [7]

Finally, here are Persian serial numbers [8] etched onto a handgun. [9]

Update: Ordnance pictured by the Telegraph [10] is might not be from Iran [11], but from Pakistan. [12] It could be from any number of countries, as one of our reader's notes at this point the proof is not definitive either way [13].

Here's a radio interview [14] I did this afternoon about the so-called "proof."